The fragrance of flowers in the fresh morning breeze was supposed to provide peace of mind and a good start to the day, but not for the anxious woman in the short black dress. Laila's assets were enhanced by her attire that had been finished off with a pair of large black sunglasses and high heels, yet they clashed with her irritated expression. With a black clutch in her hand, she could be mistaken for a model getting ready for a photoshoot. Her large brown eagle-like eyes were searching for a particular person to whom she had returned to the pack to get her hands on after a year, only to fall into despair when he slipped through her fingers.
"Can you tell me where the boys are?" She inquired of Jennifer and Lena, since they were the only ones that had seen fit to wish her farewell as she stood beside her shiny expensive car. She wanted to see Xavier now more than ever. Where could he be? Did he go to get her a rose? Yes! That must be the cause for his absence. He was well aware of how much she adored them. Maybe he wanted to make it up to her by doing that. She smirked in her mind proudly.
"They've all been in the office building since early this morning and are sorry they couldn't come to say goodbye to you," Jennifer responded with a small smile, observing Lena's frown. Due to Laila's remark about Kiara yesterday, Lena was irritated. Kaiden and Tyler had asked their mates to bid their friend farewell in a courteous manner and to apologize for not properly saying goodbye themselves.
The DNA results from the deceased wolf had arrived. Xavier had left his room before Kiara awakened, and all the men gathered in the office to discover that the guard had been murdered by a vampire. Those blood suckers had left a bite mark complete with venom in the wolf's body. Both the Alphas were furious. The Vampire King was blatantly violating the treaty, but the reason behind their attack was still unclear. The werewolves now had proof, but they needed to capture them red-handed for waging war on them. The situation was critical, and they wanted to resolve it as soon as possible before any more lives were put in jeopardy.
"How can Xavier treat me so poorly? At the very least, he should have come to say goodbye for the sake of our friendship. He had even promised to spend some time with me, but I never saw him. Zander, Kiaden, and Tyler were missing too. Now, when I return, Xavier isn't there to greet me. He didn't pay attention to me while his wife and mate insulted me!" Laila complained, tossing her sunglasses, revealing that she had been chasing after a man that she had meant to captivate. Her true goal had been to return the Sirius Bright Pack to finally capture Xavier, but it had been completely ruined by Kiara. She had not let Laila touch Xavier..
How could that little scumbag threaten her in front of all the ranking males? It had been extremely disrespectful to do that to the previous Beta's daughter, who was respected and liked by all of her former pack members. Even though she was no longer a member of the Sirius Bright Pack, her Beta blood could not stand up to the Alpha blood of Kiara's dominance and power.
When Xavier had been having that panic attack, it was easy for Laila to win his heart and affection through trickery, but the terrifying threat from Kiara had caused her to back down. She had been booted out of the kitchen and had stayed in her room for the rest of the day and night, waiting for Xavier to retrieve her, but he never did. Should he not have chastised his Luna for being disrespectful to her? Why hadn't he come to her room? She was ready to give herself to him. She had done everything she could to lure Xavier into her bed, but even this morning she hadn't seen his face.
"The Alpha is a responsible and busy man,which is why he doesn't think it's necessary to personally see to such trifling chores," Kiara's sweet soothing voice followed her as she stepped out of the pack house to stand in front of Laila. She had put more foundation on her face to conceal the black circles caused by the humiliation that had kept her from sleeping the whole night. Not to mention her constant longing for Xavier. Jennifer and Lena were standing beside Kiara, while Lance looked like a big wall behind her, giving the short-haired woman the impression that she was standing in front of a queen.
When Laila realized that Kiara smelt like Xavier her heart swelled with anxiety, rage, and resentment. Did they have sex this morning? What a whore! No, there was a high probability that they had done it all night long and that's why Xavier hadn't come to her. This bitch had been seducing him with her beauty and sluty body.
But Xavier had closed all of his heart and refused to love any woman. So how could he have chosen this unknown enemy's daughter as his mate? Laila had looked into Kiara's background last night. It was clear that men always liked fresh young meat. But how could that inexperienced little whore take Xavier away from her? He was her first love. Petra had robbed Xavier years ago and now Kiara had done the same. Leaving the hot, attractive, and single Alpha for a year had clearly been a horrible idea. She should never have left the Sirius Bright Pack. Her stupid parents were to blame for this.
"I can easily identify the source of the shift towards animosity in my relationship with Xavier. You don't want him to visit me. How insecure can you be, Luna Kiara?" Laila hurled venomous daggers at Kiara. It was pointless to lie, so revealing how much she despised Xavier's chosen mate whose smile always irritated Laila to no end.
"Again, I would encourage you to select your words carefully, Laila. Friendship, not a relationship," Kiara smiled as she revised Laila's statement. Kiara always felt that her smile would be her first line of defense against her foe. Her comment had been enough to remind the other woman of the term husband snatcher. Laila was irritated when Lena smirked, while Luna's new bodyguard stood there listening to everything with an indifferent expression.
"How arrogant are you," Laila chuckled, coming closer to her. She couldn't lose this fight against Kiara so easily. She had to save face before leaving the pack.
“Watch your mouth, Laila,” Jennifer growled. Kiara counseled her Beta and Gamma females to be calm through mind-link. They had chosen to interrupt since they were well aware of Laila's filthy statements. Laila wasn't a great warrior, but her words could easily hurt someone and that she never hesitated to open her mouth.
"Arrogant?" Kiara grinned, stunning Laila. She took a step closer to her and said.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but it's something I've had since birth. And I can't stand it when I see people like you."
"You!!" Laila clenched her teeth and glared at Kiara's serene expression.
"You keep mocking me because you are fortunate enough to have a Greek god like Alpha Xavier. I understand you're Alpha Sawyer's daughter. Yes, women like you usually forget their place when they put on nice clothing and suddenly gain a better status. I guess I'll have to remind you of her place before I go," Laila snapped, unleashing her wrath and fury that had been building since last night. It was now time to unleash it in order to obtain a victory that would appease her battered ego.
"Hold your tongue, Laila. You have been warned twice. After this, I will have no other option but to report it to the Alpha," Jennifer announced seriously.
"Let her speak," Kiara directed Jennifer and Lina, moving closer to Laila.
"What exactly were you saying? If you're leaving here, I'll absolutely listen to what you have to say," Kiara confronted the cunning woman. Laila's wolf advised her not to speak further as doing so would put herself in danger, but jealousy has caused many to make foolish decisions.
"You are just a replacement, Kiara," Laila smiled as she saw Kiara's expression changing. She was now satisfied. Jennifer and Lena's blood froze in horror and panic when they heard the unexpected comment from the prior member of the pack, who had been aware of the implications of her reckless deed. Kiara remembered of that letter that she had received on her birthday from an unknown individual when she heard the word 'replacement.' Laila had said the same thing. What exactly did they mean by ‘replacement’?
"Laila!!" Lena's bloodthirsty hands rushed out to seize the shameless woman who plainly knew no one could ever bring up Xavier's first mate, his rejection, or anything else from his past. Despite the fact that she was no longer a member of the pack, she had resolved to disobey the rule.
"Stop," Kiara grabbed Lena's arm just before her long claws had scratched Laila face, causing her to bleed profusely. Laila instantly quickened her steps to defend herself, but her mouth hung wide open when she saw her friends who had turned on her simply because she had insulted Kiara. But wasn't their friendship more valuable than this new woman? How could they betray their long-standing friendship for her?
"What exactly were you saying? Complete your sentences," Kiara ordered, opting to go further into the subject. It had occurred twice that she had been referred to as a replacement Luna. Was it just a coincidence? Not to mention what had happened yesterday when she came face to face with part of Xavier's past in the kitchen, which had been buried behind his cold and ruthless visage.
In those few minutes, she felt a deep anguish and sadness in her heart as a result of their mate bond. Zander and the others had been preoccupied with the problem of the Omega and her cheating mate. Kiara, on the other hand, had put all she had into caring for Xavier, who had come back to his senses, but he had remained mute when she asked him what had caused his violent attack.
She was aware that this was not a usual occurrence. It was impossible for Alpha Wolf not to recognize his mate, his wife, because they were soulmates. He had appeared to be a completely different person at the moment. She hadn't wanted to leave his side. She had wanted to stay there holding his hand, but he just said one thing before exiting the room.
"It is not something you should be aware of. It is simply the most disgusting part of my past that I despise the most."
Xavier's cold voice lingered in her head, yet it made her uneasy. What was in his past? Why had he described it as disgusting? Clearly he had hated her question. Suddenly, it had become something that Kiara was curious about. Laila's remark had piqued her interest even more.
"It's…" Laila read Jennifer and Lena's outraged expressions and realized she had committed the worst mistake of her life. If Xavier learned of her acts, he would not only sever his friendship with her, but he would also permanently bar her from entering the pack. Not only that, but the most likely outcome would be that she would not be able to escape the pack. She had chosen to share his most intimate and sensitive secret, which to him would be considered a crime. The culprit would receive the punishment of death. Jealousy had blinded her so badly that she had lost her senses, she no longer had the confidence to respond to Kiara.
"It's nothing," Laila lied, swallowing hard as she looked down at the ground. She despised herself for having to concede defeat to her rival.
"Nothing?" Kiara frowned.
"Yes, it's nothing. I just said that since you replaced me. You stole my place. I should have been Xavier's Luna, not you…" Laila's face snapped to the side before she could finish her statement. She put her hand over the red spot on red face in surprise. Her sly eyes and mouth were wide open in disbelief, she had received a slap from Kiara.
"Such a waste of time," Kiara snarled as she raised her hand to deliver another smack, but Laila swiftly moved aside, placing her other palm on her cheek, shielding both of her beautiful cheeks from the psycho-looking woman. The Alpha Wolf had scared the Beta blood.
"You slapped me! I will tell Xavier!!" Laila cried, screaming at the top of her lungs. At the same time, she was terrified of what Kiara's next move would be, since the look she had been giving Laila was rather unexpected.
"Yes, inform him, and don't forget to tell the Alpha every single little detail before leaving the pack. Oh, and don't forget that the next time you decide to come, you'll always be greeted by me," Kiara remarked in a monotone. She was fully aware that what she was saying was a total lie because she was only going to stay with the pack for less than a year so they would never see each other again, but she was enraged.
"Lance, help our guest see herself out of this pack before she misses her flight."
"Yes Luna," the bodyguard rushed to open the door for Laila. It was an implied command for her to exit the pack as quickly as possible. The embarrassed she-wolf was in tears as she gritted her teeth and exited the pack with curses that she couldn't bring herself to say aloud.
"She got what she deserved!" Lena laughed as she decided to break her friendship with Laila. It had been a horrible idea from the start. Jennifer regretted it as well.
"Alpha," Xavier was standing some distance away when Lena saw him. Kiara lifted her eyes to look at Xavier, who had witnessed everything with the other ranked males, but not once had he interrupted. How long had he been standing there? Had he heard everything? Was he upset because she had kicked out his friend?
Xavier's green eyes were locked with Kiara's chocolaty ones, both of which were filled with feelings she couldn't identify. The longer they stared at one another, the more the air surrounding them began to smolder, until Kiara felt her heartbeat accelerate. How could he not have even blinked once?
'Do you want me to apologize to your friend?' Kiara couldn't help but question Xavier, whose intense gaze had been drilling a large hole in her face. Obviously, he thought she was a bitch who had humiliated his childhood friend in front of the pack. That was the only reason Kiara could conjure up for his eyes and appearance.
'Apologize?' Xavier mind-linked back, raising his brows. It was the first time they mind-linked each other, which caused something inside her heart to squeeze.
'Then what do you want to say?' She inquired, perplexed. He brushed off Laila's slap and insults as if they had never occurred.
'How about lunch tomorrow? When I returned to the pack after my business meeting, be ready on time,' Xavier stated, surprising Kiara. Wait! Was he going to take her out to lunch?! Why had he suddenly asked her through a mind-link? It was far too abrupt.
Kiara was still perplexed, she couldn't respond to Xavier. She had never eaten or gone out for lunch. No one had ever invited her. When they went out for family lunch, they always left her alone in the pack house. Noah always remarked it was humiliating for them to walk beside bad luck.
Her childhood memories were as vivid as they had always been. On Noah's birthday, her brother had always forced her back into her room. In front of his friends, he would constantly disguise the fact that she was his sister. He would never share cake with her and would lock her in her room until the birthday celebration was over. Kiara chuckled in sadness as she remembered the times that she wanted a slice of cake. Finally, Martha would serve her in her bedroom, but it would be stolen by Lewis, as Noah had taught him to do it.
For years, the same thing would happen over and over. She had been left behind in the pack house while everyone else went out into the world to enjoy their lives. Birthday celebrations, family meals, or socializing with friends.
Xavier, on the other hand, had become the first person who was willing to take her out. He didn't believe she would humiliate him.
Kiara's lips formed a faint smile. She wished to go out with him. She wanted to do everything she had missed out on in her life. He wouldn't regret it if he asked her, right? She received a message on her phone just as she was about to answer him. She looked down at her phone to see whether it was from Adira.
'Kiara, let's meet tomorrow. The location where I asked you. Remember, this is our only chance. So go to any length to escape the Sirius Bright Pack.'
Kiara had forgotten to breathe while reading Adira's message. She raised her gaze to meet the Alpha’s, who was still waiting for her response.
It was her last chance to meet Adira. She wanted to go out with Xavier but she also needed to meet with her sister. She knew if she could not escape, then she would lose her opportunity to meet with her forever. She clenched her palm in panic, still looking at Xavier.. She had made her decision.